This is usually a time for the ministry to take a brief break and begin planning for the next fiscal year. We hope you all take a moment for self-care and recharging. ADDITIONALLY, June is Men’s Mental Health Month and Alzheimer’s/Brain Awareness Month.
This month, the Pope’s prayer intention is that everyone might have food. When we lack food, our physical and mental health suffer. A child who goes to bed hungry wakes up anxious and depressed. Hunger erodes a person’s sense of safety and dignity. Let us pray that everyone be committed to ensuring that people everywhere have access to quality food that nourishes their bodies, minds, and spirits.
National Mental Health Awareness Month in May 2026 focuses on reducing stigma, providing support, and fostering community, highlighting the 2026 theme "More Good Days, Together". Key initiatives include education, virtual wellness, and advocacy to combat the fact that 1 in 5 U.S. adults experiences mental illness annually.
This month, the Pope’s prayer intention is for priests in crisis. The life of a priest is often filled with joy, but priests can also experience high levels of stress, loneliness, and depression due to heavy workloads, isolation, and high expectations.
Peace and mental health are inseparable. Effective disarmament is a commitment to protecting the dignity and mental health for those of us living today and those who will follow.
Catherine Campbell, Mental Health Coordinator at St. Nicholas St. William Parish in Los Altos, piloted Sanctuary for Teens, a free mental health series from Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries.
Franciscan School of Theology at the University of San Diego is now offering a Doctor of Education in Catholic Thought in Practice. The program includes a track for Mental Health Ministry.
We join with Pope Leo XIV in praying that children, and all people facing mental health challenges, “always find a community that welcomes them, listens to them, and accompanies them.”
This month, the Pope’s prayer intention is for prayer with the Word of God. For those of us who live with a mental health challenges, the Word of God assures us that God understands our struggles and always wants to offer us spiritual support.